Mike Pagliarulo fired as Marlins' hitting coach

MIAMI (AP) — Mike Pagliarulo has been fired as hitting coach for the Miami Marlins, who rank last in the majors in runs.

Pagliarulo had been with the team since 2017. Assistant hitting coach Jeff Livesey was promoted to interim head hitting coach, and Eric Duncan was made the assistant hitting coach.

President of baseball operations Michael Hill said the changes were made because the Marlins are capable of more offensively. They were shut out in consecutive games this week against the Chicago Cubs, and Pagliarulo's firing was announced after they scratched out a 3-2 win against Washington on Friday night.

Five starters finished the game batting .234 or less.

Pagliarulo played 11 seasons in the majors, starting out with the New York Yankees in 1984 and helping Minnesota win the 1991 World Series.